


Day 010

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [10]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:02:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22206061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 3





	Day 010

Noll shifted slightly in their hiding spot. Just enough to stop their legs from cramping up or worse, falling asleep. Nothing was more annoying than having to fight with pins and needles in your legs. Some friends had given him the identity of one of the ringleaders from the mob who had tried to burn down the alianage. It seemed he worked on the docks by day but every Friday he paid a visit to the Rose. The route from the docks to Hightown took him through several narrow staircases and alleyways that blocked line of sight for potential witnesses. Noll was hiding in one of these waiting for his target.

A few rats were playing in the alleyway, chasing each other around and squeaking happily. Noll paid them no mind, they were far less disruptive than the shemlen and thus made for better company.

The sound of uneven footsteps came from around the corner and Noll tensed waiting to see if his quarry was finally here. The humans stumbled around the corner laughing and leaning on each other for support. Noll scanned their faces and recognized two of them from the morning of the burning. One was his target, the other an accomplice. The third may or may not have been involved but regardless, he has chosen his friends poorly.

Noll’s lunged as they passed, their first strike sending their knife blade across the ringleader’s neck. The second strike went up under the chin and into the brain of a second human dropping him before he had time to react. 

The third shemlen reacted faster than Noll anticipated with a ferocious right hook. Noll tried to free their dagger from the other shemlen’s skull but it stuck and they were forced to let it go as they dodged the Merry first coming for their head.

Noll kicked out connecting with the shemlen’s knee, sending him stumbling backwards. Rather than making a second attempt to free their dagger, Noll searched around for another weapon. They scooped up the top half of a broken bottle, almost as good as a knife in a street fight. Staying low, Noll jammed the jagged end of the bottle into their attacker’s leg. They were preparing to press the attack when they were blindsided by the ringleader slamming into thier side with a shoulder check. 

Noll was astonished to see the ringleader was still on his feet, one hand pressed to his neck to staunch the flow of blood.

“Another fucking elf who thinks he’s better then us.” He spat. “We’ll see how tough you feel when we pull your ears off and shove them up your ass.”

Noll tried to regain their footing but the ringleader was in a battle rage and moved faster than he had a right to. Noll took a swift kick to the ribs dropping the bottle which shattered on the stones. The next hit, from the other shemlen, this time, sent them to the ground. Noll landed on the shattered bottle and felt it cut into their back. The ringleader sat on Noll’s chest, one hand still pressed to his neck. With his free hand the shemlen drew his belt knife and pressed it to Noll’s ear. It seemed like he planned to make good on his threat. 

One of the rats took this moment to scamper over Noll’s face, Tiny claws scratching across their skin. The ringleader jerked back in surprise giving Noll the opening they needed. They popped their hips, sending the ringleader pitching forwards. Out of instinct he caught himself with the hand that had been holding his neck. Hot blood splashed across Noll’s face, getting in their nose and mouth. They coughed and sputtered, their body spasming violently as it rejected the shem blood. It was a revulsion learned thousands of years ago when humans first arrived on Thedas. Noll turned the convulsion into an attack, headbutting the ringleader in the face. At this point the ringleader had lost too much blood to do anything but die, the limp bloody rolling off Noll to bleed over the cobblestones.

Noll was on their feet in a flag ready to face the final shemlen but he had decided discretion was the better part of valor and was fleeting as fast as his wounded leg would carry him. Noll took a moment to wrest their knife from the skull of the first sheen they had killed and, with a swish and flick, they threw the knife into the back of the neck of the fleeing Shem.

Noll double checked that all three were dead before taking stock of their injuries. A few bruised ribs and some lush cuts on their back. Nothing too serious, hardly even worth a trip to the healer.

They sat down a moment to catch their breath and give thanks to Andrull, the only God they knew anything about.

“Mistress of the hunt,” they said quietly, “I give my thanks for your favour this day. I dedicate the blood of these enemies of the people to you.” They dipped third fingers in the congealing blood and drew their best approximation of Andrull’s symbol on their face.

The rat that has interfered in the fight came back to sit next to Noll. They scooped up their savior and dropped the creature in their pocket. 

“I owe you my life friend,” they said. The thought occurred to them that the rat may have been sent by Andrull. “I shall keep you safe and warm and I shall feed you and call you Gilly.”


End file.
